12 unexpected reasons to build green roofs

Although the construction of a green garden can be carried out with different types of construction materials, some more polluting than others, there is a traditional option typical of the Nordic countries that gives us the possibility of waterproofing it naturally.

The use of birch bark is key to waterproofing the roof in traditional architectures in these areas. Its use allows the roof to be resistant to water and, in general, prolongs its life. Therefore, the design of a green house can seek this option to avoid synthetic materials, with the advantage that the earth and plants help the birch bark to be better fixed. An interesting option for bioclimatic design .

When there is no forest, or simply, if you want to dedicate a space to expand the garden offering a delicious snack to herbivores such as goats or horses, green roofs are an interesting option.

In the image that opens the post, as well as in the previous one, we see the great results that can be achieved by opting for this option in modern designs that have a minimal landscape impact. The options are as many as designs make it feasible. Whether with a rural or modernist air, so much is given.

Obviously, a green roof means improving the symbiosis of the house with the environment, if it is located in the countryside, and especially when native plants and even small equally local trees are chosen to cover the roof.

On the other hand, green roofs that cover buildings in cities are also a way of reducing the feeling of living in an asphalt jungle. Instead, the view is little less than that of an urban garden. Although its access is private, for visual purposes it is a contribution in this same sense.

The weight of the green roof, adding the earth and the plants , helps the houses to be more consolidated, with which the walls and other infrastructure will be proof of drafts caused by possible cracks.

This effect is an advantage well known in the Nordic countries , where, in addition, in winter, the total weight increases significantly in the snow season, while the earth acts as an insulator from the cold, in addition to the role of the bark birch, as we explained in the first point.

The green roof of these roofs helps absorb rainwater , helping to reduce runoff significantly, depending on different factors, such as the design, plants and slope of the roof, explains the Scandinavian Green Roof Institute.

Turning your roof garden into an oasis for bees and other animals, from insects and birds to small mammals or reptiles is an interesting way to contribute to the promotion of biodiversity. In the case of bees, helping them by planting species that help them do their job and installing honeycombs can make a big difference and, along with other measures, even save them from extinction.

Given that a grass roof in the Nordic countries is a family project that is carried out within a barter economy, since the materials are collected from here and there and their realization requires a lot of labor, which is usually done by the neighbors in rural communities.

Urban nomadic gardening or farming can appear where one least expects it. An occurrence that, over the years, has become a protest gesture, in the style of the movement known as guerrilla gardening. The place is the least of it: a moss graffiti, the roof of a bus … The important thing is to reach the passer-by, convey the message that green is life and, by passive, the lack of green that the city suffers, little less than living death.

The terraces or roofs are an invitation to turn them into urban gardens . Of course, as in the case of gardens, the load capacity of the building must be taken into account before overloading it with soil and irrigation, in order to get the most out of our space.

It is the fashion in China, a trend that amazes with a simple image. In the thumbnail of the second image we can see how the need for green areas in cities has led to the construction of buildings on the same rooftops, on the other hand also converted into gardens.

Compliance with the French laws is another possible motivation when building a green roof. Specifically, the French Parliament has approved a law that seeks to improve air quality to enhance biodiversity and also seek a lower carbon footprint (reduce emissions), as well as improve public health.

It is a regulation that requires that the roofs of new buildings have a green roof that helps to achieve these objectives, in addition to isolating the building or, failing that, the roofs must have solar panels, within a series of requirements to fulfill.

Green roofs can be passable, in which case they become a good option for office workers in urban environments , surrounded by asphalt, to take breaks between green. There are many studies that tell us about the importance of changing the environment to charge the batteries, ideally coming into contact with nature.

Likewise, a similar effect can be achieved from the same office, although it will not be as effective, simply by having green views. In this sense, having the roofs of other lower-rise buildings have a green tapestry can make a big difference.

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